Chapter 026: Meeting the Family

Three days later.

As promised, Seraphina came personally to collect the family of three. As the top family in Sea City, arranging a secure private hospital was no difficult task for her.

"Fawn" and "Eagle" were just codenames; their real names were Mia Lu and Lin Zhi, and their son's name was Lin Zicheng. Seraphina used their real names to set up their new identities.

She brought Lin Zicheng to the private hospital. She had expected it to take some time to soothe him, as Lin Zhi and Mia couldn't stay long without risking exposure. To her surprise, Mia simply told the boy that she and Lin Zhi had to go to work and would visit him on the weekend, and Zicheng listened obediently.

No crying, no fussing. He truly was a sensible child. Even so, as they left, the boy stood by the door with red-rimmed eyes.

Seraphina arranged for them to stay in an apartment under her name. The security was excellent, and given their new identities and their own combat skills, there would be no immediate danger. Seraphina felt at ease.

By the time they reached the apartment, unpacked, and prepared to leave, it was nearly 5:00 PM. Before leaving the apartment, the two signed the contracts Seraphina had prepared.

As they left, Seraphina was still the one driving. Lin Zhi offered to drive, but Seraphina declined. She knew where they were headed and was familiar with the route; it would be faster if she drove.

The two sat in the back, not asking where they were going. They were now under Seraphina’s command, and it was their duty to follow her arrangements without questioning.

Occasionally, however, worry flickered across their faces. They weren't worried that Seraphina would mistreat them or force them into something they didn't want to do; they were worried about their five-year-old son being scared without them. For all these years, even while in hiding, they had never been apart from him.

Catching their expressions in the rearview mirror, Seraphina looked back at the road and said, "Don't worry. The hospital will call you if anything happens. Of course, you can also call them if you’re concerned."

Seraphina had replaced both of their phones with new ones. she had installed software she’d researched while at home, ensuring they couldn't be easily wiretapped. Lin Zhi and Mia had realized this the moment they received the phones. At that moment, their perception of Seraphina gained another layer.

"Thank you, Miss," Mia sighed. "We’ve just never been away from our son for this long. It’s hard not to worry."

From the moment they left the apartment with her, their form of address had changed from "Miss Pierce" to "Miss."

"But Miss, are you truly not afraid of us bringing you trouble?"

Mia wasn't the only one curious; Lin Zhi was as well. Knowing they were dangerous, she kept them close, solved their immediate problems, and gave them such a generous salary. By any measure, Seraphina was getting the short end of the stick. Yet she didn't seem like someone who acted on impulse.

"That is not for you to worry about. I told you that by working for me, I can protect you. I wasn't just speaking casually."

Her willingness to say such things and take such actions meant she was sufficiently prepared. In truth, keeping these two wouldn't have to be this complicated; she could have simply contacted their organization and traded information they were interested in for their freedom. She believed the information she possessed far outweighed the value of these two to that organization.

She was simply avoiding drawing too much attention for now. Should the day come when the enemy found her, she was fully capable of protecting this family.

Bring trouble upon herself? That was impossible.

Hearing this, the two fell silent. The car continued forward. Just then, Seraphina’s phone rang.

She didn't shy away from the two and answered directly: "Mom... yes, on the road, should be there in about fifteen minutes... What are you saying? No, just two ordinary friends... fine, I'll hang up. I'll be there soon."

The two in the back seat exchanged a look, both seeing surprise and suspicion in each other’s eyes. Was she taking them to meet her family?

Seraphina was indeed taking them to meet Quentin and Xenia. She had settled this with her parents the previous night. Typically, she rarely introduced her friends to her family, let alone invited them out for a meal, so Quentin and Xenia had been shocked and agreed without hesitation.

It wasn't until this morning that they realized and asked if she was bringing a new male friend. Seraphina said no, and when they pressed further, she only said they’d know when they saw them. With that vague answer, she left.

Xenia had just called to ask again if the friend she was seeing was a man she needed to be introduced to. The implication was clear: she was asking if Seraphina was bringing a potential partner to meet them...

Twenty minutes later.

In a private room at a restaurant.

Seraphina knocked and entered, followed by the couple. Quentin and Xenia, who had been waiting for quite some time, craned their necks, their eyes sparkling as they stared at the door. When Seraphina pushed it open, they quickly sat up straight.

Under Seraphina’s gaze, they looked a bit embarrassed. There was no helping it; their daughter had never shown interest in dating. Now that she was suddenly bringing a friend to meet them, how could they not be curious?

However, when they saw the two people following Seraphina, their sparkling gazes instantly dimmed. They were filled with disappointment. Although there was a man, he was clearly not the type their daughter would be interested in. Furthermore, though the man and woman weren't holding hands, the way they exchanged glances made it clear they weren't just acquaintances.

Despite their disappointment, the two didn't lose their manners. They stood up together; Quentin gave a slight nod, while Xenia greeted them with a smile: "Please, have a seat."

The couple looked at Seraphina with suspicion—she was truly bringing them to meet her parents? They were full of questions but didn't show it. They spoke politely: "Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Pierce."

"These are my parents." Seraphina then introduced them to the equally suspicious Quentin and Xenia: "Dad, Mom, these are Lin Zhi and Mia Lu. They are husband and wife, and also the assistants I’ve found for you. Lin Zhi will follow Dad for a while, and Mia will follow Mom."

This single sentence left everyone even more confused. What was she doing?

Meeting their bewildered gazes, Seraphina smiled faintly and said to Lin Zhi and Mia, "Let’s sit down first. We can talk while we eat."

They sat down. They looked at one another, but no one spoke. Finally, Xenia stared at Seraphina and asked first, "Sera, what... what is this about?" She then gave a brief, apologetic nod to the couple. "Please don't misunderstand; I don't mean anything by it. It’s just that Sera didn't mention this beforehand, and we’re a bit stunned. We just want to understand."

The two quickly insisted they didn't mind.

Seraphina smiled. "Mom, don't be so tense. It’s no big deal. Lin Zhi and Mia are friends I met by chance. They have a child who is ill and requires a significant amount of medical fees, and they haven't been able to find suitable work yet. I thought since you’re lacking an assistant and Dad seems to need a personal assistant, I’d help them out."

At these words, Lin Zhi and Mia had the strongest reaction. They snapped their heads up, looking first at Seraphina, then at Quentin and Xenia. It seemed the couple didn't know their real identities, didn't know that Miss Pierce had such incredible combat skills, and didn't know her true purpose for bringing them here.

Of course, they hadn't known either until just now. But now they had a rough idea. On the surface, they were to be assistants, but in reality, weren't they being placed by the couple to protect them?

What was the Miss planning?

Seraphina acted as if she didn't notice their scrutiny and said with a smile, "Mom, let’s have the server bring the food. I'm getting hungry."

Hearing that she was hungry, Xenia set aside her doubts for the moment and called the server. The food arrived quickly.

"Sera, you weren't joking just now?" It was Quentin who asked. He hadn't been the head of the Pierce family for all these years without developing a keen eye. Regardless of their skills, these two had kept their emotions perfectly hidden since entering the room; even he couldn't see through them. They didn't look like people who couldn't find work.

"Of course not. I’m serious."

"Dad, they are friends I met by chance. They are in urgent need of money but are unwilling to borrow from me, so I came up with this method. Lin Zhi and Mia are hard workers, and you and Mom indeed need assistants. I think it’s very appropriate for them to stay with you for a while."

Quentin and Xenia stared at her for about thirty seconds. Finally, they exchanged a look, and Quentin said, "It’s rare for Sera to ask us for a favor, and she personally brought them to meet us. They must be people you truly trust. Since you’ve asked, how could your mother and I refuse to help?"

He looked at Lin Zhi. "Your name is Lin Zhi, right? You look to be in your early thirties, not much older than Sera. She never brings people to meet us privately; since she’s brought you here, she must truly consider you friends. We’ll go with Sera’s suggestion. You can follow me as my personal assistant."

He then looked at Mia. "Mia, right? My wife indeed needs an assistant and hasn't found a suitable one for years. Since Sera recommended you, you shall take good care of my wife from now on."

Lin Zhi didn't answer immediately. He looked at Seraphina and, seeing her sitting there with a faint smile, he quickly pulled Mia up and bowed deeply to Quentin and Xenia. "Thank you, Mr. Pierce, Mrs. Pierce. You’ve truly done our family a great favor."

"Privately, you are Sera’s friends. No need for such formality. Please, sit down."

As Quentin spoke, he glanced at Seraphina again. He seemed to want to say something, but ultimately he said, "Didn't you say you were hungry? Let’s eat."

Seraphina picked up her chopsticks and gave Quentin a brilliant smile. "Yes, Dad."

After dinner, Seraphina gave her car to the couple while she returned to the Pierce residence with Quentin and Xenia. Along the way, Xenia asked if the couple’s son needed any help with his medical treatment, but she didn't ask anything else.

This surprised Seraphina, but she also felt it made sense. Her parents were never foolish; even if some things weren't made explicitly clear, she believed they could guess the gist of it.

In her past life, they had been outmaneuvered by Silas and Sylvia simply because they trusted them too much and because those two had acted too quickly. Shortly after returning to the country, before they even had time to react, those two had taken their lives... It was ruthless and reckless. It was full of loopholes. Otherwise, when she had learned the skills to take her revenge, she wouldn't have been able to make them pay the price in less than a month.

Yes, in her past life, she had followed Silas Sterling to learn. Starting from scratch, it took her nearly three years to master her skills, but taking her revenge had taken less than a month.

In the early hours of the morning, in the master bedroom of the Pierce mansion.

Quentin and Xenia, who had washed up and changed into their pajamas, were still awake. The bedside lamp was still on. Xenia rolled over to face Quentin, then sat up against the headboard, her face etched with worry. "Hubby, what do you think Sera is trying to do?"